Be My Hero
by xJonesy-as-in-Alfred-Fx
Summary: Victoria has disappeared. Alfred has to find her, because a hero's not a hero unless he has someone to protect. Formally known as Slave 4 U.
1. Chapter 1

"_I'm leaving, Alfred."_

_I stared at her blankly. I didn't understand._

"_What?" I asked, laughing slightly. She couldn't be serious._

"_My dad lost his job. They're going to foreclose the house. I'm running away."_

_I was nearly frozen with shock. She'd never looked so broken in her life. "Don't be crazy. I'm sure things will work out eventually."_

"_No, Alfred. This has happened before. I'm tired of being kicked out on the street for weeks, only for my dad to find another job and lose it just as fast. I can't just sit around and do nothing."_

"_I can help, Vicky! My dad can find your dad a job, I'm sure!" I could tell she was serious._

"I_ need to find a job, Al. it's the only way we can really-"_

"_Don't say that!" I shouted at her. "My family can lend you the money you need! You can live with us! Anything! Just don't go!"_

"_I'll miss you, Alfred." She wrapped her arms around my waist and softly kissed my lips. "Don't look for me, please. I need to do this."_

"_Victoria, no…"_

_With one last squeeze and murmured "I love you," she was gone._

"VICTORIA DON'T GO!" I screamed. I jerked upright, sweat and tears on my face.

"Alfred?"

I looked across the room to see Gilbert, Matthew, and Arthur staring at me from three plastic chairs. All of them looked worried.

"Wha- what happened?"

"You passed out again, dude." Gilbert got up to sit on the bed next to me.

"We carried you down here." Ah, so I was in the nurse's office.

"You had the dream again, didn't you?" Arthur said flatly. I nodded.

I fucking missed her.

"Yeah," I rubbed my face with my sleeve.

"You need to stop tearing yourself up over her, Alfred. She's gone."

Matthew looked at him in horror, Gilbert with disgust.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?"

"She's gone, Al. no one's heard from her in months. She might as well be dead. You need to get over her. You're destroying yourself over a memory."

For a few moments, I blacked out. Did I faint again? It was like my soul floated away from my body for a minute, then came crashing back into me. I woke up with my hands around his throat, shouting every insult I could think of until Gilbert pulled me off of him.

"What is your problem, man? You nearly killed him!"

"Good!" I spat. "I'll find her, you'll see!" I writhed out of his grip and ran down the hall. "You'll all see!"

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><p><strong>AN: I had to edit this chapter because it wasn't making sense. *fuuuu* I'm new at writing angst, obviously. I'm not used to it :/ Also, I'm not sure if this is exactly in the 'romance' category, but since it's his girlfriend we're talking about, it's OK, right?**

**... Right?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I just realized that I called Seychelles "Seychelles" in the last chapter. So until I change it, please just ignore it and pretend I put "Victoria," ok? Oh, and I changed the title because the plot changed a little. Don't kill me, por favor.  
>Meh, whatever. Hetalia isn't mine.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>My entire body shook as I tried to speak calmly.<em>

"_Just put the gun away, babe. It's alright."_

_Victoria shook her head, knocking her once loose ribbons onto the floor. She held the weapon to her temple. "It's over, Al. I-I just can't stand it. Not anymore." Her room was unusually dark and dreary. I stood on one side while she stood near the window, her pigtails frazzled and wearing a bloodstained nightshirt. Where she had even gotten the pistol, I didn't know. "I called you here to say g-goodbye, okay? Don't try to stop me."_

"_We can get through this, Victoria. Together. You don't need to do this!" I started toward her, but she threatened to shoot again. "You've got so much to live for…"_

"_No! I _have _to do this! It's the only way I can…" she glared at me, tears streaming down her bruised face. "My father… do you know how hard it is, Alfred? H-he raped me. He beat me and violated me. I can't live with the pain, Alfred. I have to end it here. Now." I heard the gun cock and ran to her before she did anything she'd regret. I grabbed her wrists and forced the gun to the ground. "Death isn't the answer! You won't solve anything by killing yourself!" I wrapped my arms around her and we made our way to the floor. "You can't leave me. I love you too much to let you hurt yourself more." Victoria stared at me with big, teary brown eyes. _

"_I love you, Alfred," she whimpered. She softly pressed her lips to mine, letting sobs remain strangled in her throat. We held each other in a death grip. "It's okay to cry, Vicky. Let it out." She buried her face in my chest, her tears pouring out onto my shirt. I stroked her hair, squeezing my eyes shut to keep my own tears from falling. She needed me to be strong right now. It was her time to cry on my shoulder. It was time to be the hero. I had to keep her safe from the pain. I had failed once, but maybe this time-_

BANG

_My eyes flew open. No. Don't tell me she…_

_She had done it._

_Blood seeped from a wound in her head. Victoria, my love, lay limp in my arms, red streaming down her face. Her body grew colder with each passing second._

"_No, no, no…" I had failed again. I couldn't save her. Just when I thought I had won, she slipped away from me. I fell over her dead body and let out all of my pent-up emotions flood out._

"NO!" I felt myself scream. I gripped the sheets and bolted upright. My breathing was hitched and the bed was soaked with sweat.

_I swear, these nightmares are getting more and more vivid._

Why did this keep happening to me? Ever since a few months ago, I'd been having these terrible dreams. Victoria would leave me one way or another: she was running away, she had been kidnapped, she eloped and married a stranger; the possibilities were endless. I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it.

_Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder was a total dipshit._

My heart wasn't growing in fondness. It wasn't doing anything but hurting. Yeah, missing someone makes you want them more, but now I hated her. I hated her for taking a chunk of my heart and my sanity with her, wherever she was. I hated her for destroying me. I knew I was sinking, sinking deeper and deeper into depression. Didn't she think about how this would affect me? Didn't she realize how hard it was, going on without her and worrying about her safety every day?

_You called me your hero. How could you forget that a hero's not a hero unless he's got someone to protect? How could you be so stupid? If you were in trouble, I could have rescued you. If you were in pain, I could have helped you. Why couldn't you just believe in me, Vicky?_

The clock read 4:46. There was no way I could sleep after that episode. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her. When I woke up, I'd expect reality to have been a dream and see Victoria smiling down at me, saying something like "You fell asleep in class again, you goofball".

_Sometimes I can't tell which hurts more, the dreams or the reality. Either way, I can't escape, can I?_

I grabbed my glasses and went downstairs, not bothering to put a shirt on. I started a pot of coffee and grabbed some clothes from the laundry room. After taking an extra long shower, I sloppily threw on a neon green sweatshirt, plaid skinny jeans and mismatched blue and gray socks. What was the point of looking nice if there was no one to impress?

I had downed the whole pot and was working on a second one when Matthew came downstairs at 6:30. He looked surprised, either at my being up before him or my outfit.

"Oh, um, good morning."

I merely nodded in his direction, still staring into space with bloodshot eyes.

"I was going to make some pancakes… did you want any?"

"Nah. I'm full on coffee anyway." My appetite had practically disappeared, too. I now lived off of caffeine and sugar. I knew I was looking thin, I had heard people talking about me many times. I wasn't starving myself, I just wasn't hungry anymore.

_Anything to stay awake. Anything to stay awake._

"O-oh. Okay." Even after all this time, he of all people was still surprised that I was never eating anymore. Normally I'd tear through an entire batch of his pancakes and beg for more.

_Guess I'm not so normal anymore._

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><p>The school days had begun to feel longer and longer. Thankfully, this one decided to end. I trudged to my car like a zombie.<p>

"Hey, Jones!" I turned to see Arthur, Francis and Matthew. "Tomorrow we're going to take a trip to the beach. All weekend, just us guys. What do you say? Are you in?"

"It would be a nice opportunity to clear your 'ead, non?"

"Yeah, plus we haven't really hung out in a long time."

_Maybe this is what I need after all._

I smirk, the closest I've been to a smile in ages. "Count me in, guys."

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><p><strong>AN: Gah, fail chapter end is a FAIL *=_=* funny how this looks so much longer on Microsoft Word... Hmm. And to think I was proud to have written over 1000 words...**


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